Handle or grip.



PATENTED MAR. 6, 1906.

G. L. STOGKDELL. HANDLE 0R GRIP. APPLICATION mm) nn; a, 1905.

nozntoa zag'airqell. pa/{Z 12 witmwowa CLARENCE L. STOCKDELL, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

HANDLE OR GRIP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 6, 1906.

Application filed April 3, 1905. Serial No. 253,534.

""handle or grip so constructed as, to afford a firm and secure grasp for the hand without the necessity of the user exerting a muscular effort or being subjected to a mental tension to hold the article with a close grip and which is peculiarly adapted to conform to the shape of the closed hand, so as to be practically re-' tained therein without effort, whereby slipping is prevented and a handle or grip produced which may be held for a long timev without tiring the muscles of the hand and wrist.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a dumb-bell embodying the invention looking toward one of the broad sides of the grip or handle. Fig. 2 is a similar view looking toward one of the narrow sides of the grip or handle and Fig. 3 is a cross-section through the handle, showing the manner in which the handle is grasped in the hand, the latter appearing in dotted lines.

In the treatment of parts of the human body for development or restoration to normal condition it is well known that the best results are obtained when the athlete or patient exercises his will or a mental effort properly directed to influence the passage of blood and nerve currents to the desired part, this mental efiort directed toward the particular part, in connection with the muscular action of said part, serving to produce or promote proper contraction or coherence of the nerve particles, without which the promotion or restoration of normal circulation of blood and telepathic action of the nerve-currents cannot be eflectually obtained, the result in the way of developing the part depending mainly upon the amount of will power or mental efiort exerted. It is further well known that where there is any abstracting influence of external mental tension the direction of a telepathic mental current to the part to be affected cannot be obtained or will be diminished to a greater or less extent. Thus, for instance, if the mind of the athlete or patient is directed at the same time to the part under treatment and to the action of the hand to obtain a proper grip on the athletic or remedial appliance employed in the treatment a proper result cannot be secured, as a division of the mental effort will occur instead of being concentrated upon the treatment of the part. As ordinarily constructed the han dles or grips of athletic and remedial appliances are either circular or of such form as to require muscular effort on the part of the user to grip the same and retain it inthe hand during the exercise, which muscular eflort of course is produced by the exercise of the will or a mental effort on the part of the user,thus preventing the concentration of the full men "tal force upon the part undergoing treatment.

My invention aims to overcome this difficulty and to provide a handle or grip which requires little or no mental effort on the part of the user to obtain the required muscular action to hold it securely within the hand, the folding or clasping of the hand about the same being practically all that is required to enable it to be firmly grasped.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown for purposes of illustration my inven- 'tion as embodied in the handle or grip of a dumb -bell, the numeral 1 designating the handle or grip portion of the bell, and 2 the heads at the opposite ends thereof. In accordance with the invention the handle or grip 1 is made of diamond form in cross-section, or more properly of elongate truncate diamond form in cross-section, the handle being widest along the major axial line a a and narrowest along the minor axial line I) b, as indicated in Fig. 3, the corner portions 3, 4, 5, and 6 of the handle at the points of junction of the sides thereof being curved or rounded to give the proper truncate form and effect. This peculiar cross-sectional form of the handle is productive of important results, as I will now proceed to describe.

By reference to Fig. 3, which shows the application of the handle to a human hand, the latter being represented by dotted lines, it will be seen that when the hand is in closed or gripping position the handle 1 will lie with its major axis a a longitudinally and its minor axis 6 b transversely of the hand. WVhen so disposed, the rounded or truncate portion 5 will bear upon the palm of the hand and rest in the fold between the thumb and forefinger and against the base of the thumb in front of the flexor ossis, while the inner curved or truncate portion 4 will rest in the fold or receiving-space extending transversely at the center of the palm at the joint between the metacarpus and phalanges, the latter being folded about the outer portion of the handle, with the curved or truncate portion 3 resting between the inner and outer extremities thereof, with such extremities bearing against the adjacent sides of the handle between the portions 4 and 3 and 3 and 6, respectively.

At the rear the closed thumb bears against and extends to the outer rear side of the handle between the portions 5 and 6, with its ball portion resting upon the surface 6. It will thus be seen that the hand when folded to clasp or grip an object incloses a space, which is of substantially elongate truncate diamond form, and the grip or handle 1 corresponds exactly thereto, so that the hand may grasp the same without being placed under muscular tension or compression. In other words, the handle or grip 1 is of such form as to be retained within the hand practically without efiort on the part of the user, thus obviating the necessity of the user employing will power or a mental effort to bring the fingers and thumb of the hand in grasping engagement. Hence it will be seen that little or no effort will be required to hold an athletic or remedial appliance having a grip or handle constructed in accordance with my inven tion, the mental effort, if any, being autosuggestive, and consequently that the appliance may be held for a long period without tiring the hand, and the attention of the user will not be distracted to any material extent from the mental or physical action employed to develop or promote the affected part. As a matter of fact, the appliance will be held Without thought on the part of the athlete or patient, and the latter may direct his full mental action to the curative exercise and the production of a telepathic current to influence the passage of blood and the maximum nerve current to the desired part. Another advantage of the invention is that the peculiar form of the grip or handle prevents the appliance from slipping from the hand and reduces nerve tension to the minimum.

While I have shown the. invention as it is applied in practice to a dumb-bell, it will of course be understood that it may be employed in connection with other athletic and remedial apparatus using operating grips or handles and also in connection with tools and implements of various kinds, the construction of the grip permitting the device to which it is applied to be used for a long period without inconvenience or fatigue, owing to the fact that the muscles of the hand and wrist will not be tired so quickly, as the mental and muscular attention will be reduced.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. A dumb-bell having a grip or handle comprising a bar of general diamond form in cross-section, the edges of the bar at the intersection of the sides thereof being curved or rounded.

2. A dumb-bell having a grip or handle comprising a bar cross-sectionally of elongate diamond form, the edges of the bar at the intersection of the sides thereof being curved or rounded.

3. A grip or handle comprising a bar provided with a plurality of angularly related sides, said sides being arranged to impart a diamond form in cross-section to the bar, the edges of the bar at the oints of intersection of the sides being roun ed to give a truncate formation and to fit within the folds of a clasped hand, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CLARENCE L. STOOKDELL.

Witnesses:

R. A. BEDDING, C. G. KEY. 

